Abraham Geiger
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Abraham Geiger (1810–1874) was a German rabbi who led the foundation for Reform Judaism, where he sought to remove all nationalistic elements (particularly the "Chosen People" doctrine) from Judaism, stressing Judaism as an evolving and changing religion.
In the Germany of the 19th century, Abraham Geiger and Samuel Holdheim stood out as the two founding fathers of Reform Judaism. Geiger was the more moderate and scholarly reformer, seeking to found this new branch of Judaism on the scientific study of history, without assuming that any Jewish text was inspired.
Geiger was not only a scholar and researcher commenting on most important subjects and characters in Jewish history, he was also a rabbi, and the person most responsible for the founding of the reform doctrine in the mid 19th century, giving it much of the form that it still retains today. Michael Meyer in his book about Reform Judaism says that if any one person can be called the founder of Reform Judaism, it must be Geiger.
Much of Geiger's writing has been translated into English (from German) and many books about him were written in English. The book by Heschel, is an important example.
Some of Geiger's studies are included in The Origins of The Koran: Classic Essays on Islam’s Holy Book edited by Ibn Warraq. Other works are Judaism and Islam (1833) and An Appeal to My Community (1842).
Contents |
[edit] Books
[edit] Geiger's works
- Was hat Mohammed aus dem Judentume aufgenommen? Bonn, 1833.
- (translated as Judaism and Islam, F. M. Young, 1896.Online Edition
- Das Judenthum und seine Geschichte von der Zerstörung des zweiten Tempels bis zum Ende des zwölften Jahrhunderts. In zwölf Vorlesungen. Nebst einem Anhange: Offenes Sendschreiben an Herrn Professor Dr. Holtzmann. Breslau: Schletter, 1865-71.
- (translated as Judaism and its history: in 2 parts, Lanham [u.a.]: Univ. Press of America, 1985. ISBN 0-8191-4491-6.
- Abraham Geiger and liberal Judaism : The challenge of the 19th century. Compiled with a biographical introduction by Max Wiener. Translated from the German by Ernst J. Schlochauer. Philadelphia : Jewish Publication Society of America 5722.
- Nachgelassene Schriften. Reprint of the 1875-1878 ed., published in Berlin by L. Gerschel. Bd 1-5. New York: Arno Press, 1980. ISBN 0-405-12255-1
[edit] References
- Susannah Heschel: Abraham Geiger and the Jewish Jesus. Chicago; London: Univ. of Chicago Press, 1998. (Chicago studies in the history of Judaism). ISBN 0-226-32959-3.
- Ludwig Geiger: Abraham Geiger. Leben und Werk für ein Judentum in der Moderne. Berlin: JVB, 2001. ISBN 3-934658-20-2.
- Hartmut Bomhoff: Abraham Geiger - durch Wissen zum Glauben - Through reason to faith: reform and the science of Judaism. (Text dt. und engl.). Stiftung Neue Synagoge Berlin, Centrum Judaicum. Jüdische Miniaturen ; Bd. 45. Berlin: Hentrich und Hentrich 2006. ISBN 3-938485-27-2
- Jobst Paul (2006): "Das ‚Konvergenz’-Projekt – Humanitätsreligion und Judentum im 19. Jahrhundert". In: Margarete Jäger, Jürgen Link (Hg.): Macht – Religion – Politik. Zur Renaissance religiöser Praktiken und Mentalitäten. Münster 2006.ISBN 3-89771-740-9
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- Article in the Jewish Encyclopedia written by Isidore Singer & Emil G. Hirsch
- Jewish Discovery of Islam by Martin Kramer, includes discussion of Geiger.
